Posts from February 2018

I feel like the greatest excuse I get caught up in when it comes to being the person God wants me to be is “opportunities.” It’s easy to hide behind that one. It’s easy because it says I would do more, I just don’t have the occasion to act. I would follow God’s prompting, he just isn’t nudging me anywhere. We phrase this almost like God’s…

Sometimes our past can weigh us down. We know who we’ve been and we know what we’ve done and it’s easy to feel like we can’t be used because of it. It’s easy to feel like maybe I’ve done too much in my past for God to use me. The apostle Paul had to feel this way. He was a guy who actually tried to kill people for following Jesus until he ended up…

It can be really easy to feel like our past disqualifies us from doing great things for God. We get afraid that we’ve made too many mistakes, we’ve gone too far, we’ve done too much, or just don’t bring enough to the table for God to really use. And we couldn’t be more wrong. David wasn’t disqualified. He was a nobody. His own family left him out in the…

Generous Lifestyle Too often we look at generosity like it’s just another action. We think about tithing, we think about gifts, and we think about actions, but true generosity is a lifestyle. It is a state of our heart. It’s the understanding that everything I have is God’s and I should be using everything that I have to be generous and loving to those…

Generous with time. We are all busy. Schedules keep us bouncing from one thing to the next it seems. In the middle of this fast-paced life, it is really easy to get greedy with our time. It’s easy to feel like we can’t make it fit. We can’t find time for coffee. We can’t find time for a conversation with someone else. We can’t find time for…

Intentional in generosity. Are you intentional about being generous? Do you plan for it? Do you make space in your budget to give to others? Or do you just think it happens when it happens? Imagine if you did that with your other living expenses for a moment. Imagine you ignore your budget this month and just buy what you want when you want and as rent comes…

Generous with strangers How are you in the car? It says a great deal about your temperament toward people. Do you cut them off, blast your horn, scream and yell? Or are you gracious? How do you treat your waiter or waitress? Are you kind, forgiving, and pleasant? Or do you treat them like the help? Is it “their job” so it doesn’t matter how much of a mess…

Generosity is important. Generosity is about more than giving a tithe; it’s ultimately about having a heart like Jesus. Jesus was the ultimate giver. He gave us life. He gave us hope. He gave us a promise. He gave his life keeping that promise. He gives us grace every day. Every blessing we have is because He decides to be generous with us. So this week we’re going…

Our families should be dedicated to gathering. We should find value in our family being around other families that share in our faith and values. We should long to know them better and be a part of the community of God’s people. Why do you think we should go to church every Sunday? What are some of the good things that we get from going to church? What is your favorite…

Our families should be dedicated to serving together. We should be taking the skills and gifting that God has given us and using them to help others grow closer to Jesus. Sometimes this might be simple tasks, other times it might be bigger. But we should teaching and exemplifying service to the people around us. Why do you think it’s important that we serve others at…

Our families should be in the habit of bringing. We love those around us so we want them to know about Jesus. This means we’re intentional about talking to people, inviting them into our lives, and to our church community. Why is it so important that we invite people to church? Can you think of anyone who our family knows that doesn’t go to church and we…

We want our families to share in the sacrifices we make. We hope that they can take part in the sacrifices we make to see God’s kingdom grow. So today talk with your family about the way we give to God’s kingdom. Why do you think we give to the church? How can our giving help people know about Jesus? What can each of us sacrifice this week to be able…